Dell S2716DG Review

The DELL S2716DG monitor offers flawless image quality and amazing response time of 1ms which is ideal for competitive and professional FPS gamers. Along with its 144Hz rate and Nvidia G-Sync adapter, this monitor will satisfy even the most demanding elite players. The screen of the monitor is coated with 3H hardness and matte finish which will eliminate any glaring and reflections. This review will focus on the general features of this product, the pros and cons about it and finally a wrap-up of who this monitor is for.

27 Inches Screen

144Hz

2560×1440 Resolution

TN Panel

16:9 Aspect Ratio

1ms Response Time

Nvidia G-Sync

Ports: HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2

Other ports: 4xUSB3.0 Ports, Audio line out, headphone port

Contrast Ratio: 1000:1

Brightness: 350cd/m2

Pixel Pitch: 0.2331mm

Although a primary gaming monitor, the DELL S2716DG doesn’t look like one in terms of plain physical appearance. Meaning that there aren’t any colorful and cartoonish logos and writings on the monitor but rather simple and warm dark color which makes the monitor look quite refined. The bezel is very thin which makes the monitor look as if it had no frame at all. The lack of shiny logos and various messages being written on the monitor make it appear more professional which many users may prefer over usually too colorful gaming monitors.

The stunning QHD resolution of 1440p with 3.68 million pixels will ensure vivid colors and rich picture that is almost two times more detailed than Full HD. Whether you plan on using this monitor with a gaming console or a PC you will be able to simultaneously connect both machines and enjoy all video games in amazing quality. Additionally, the DELL S2716DG is Nvidia 3D ready but the 3D goggles and the emitter are not included in the purchase.

Along the monitor and its stand, in the box, you will also get power and DisplayPort cables, USB3.0 cable, drivers, and safety information. Within minutes of unpacking and hooking up you will be able to enjoy brilliant and crisp picture quality of DELL S2716DG.

There are 4 presets of different colors temperatures from which you can choose in the OSD menu including Standard, Warm, Cool and Custom Color where you can manually adjust red, green and blue colors. Unfortunately, besides the color temperature modes, there are no other presets available which means that you won’t be able to quickly change between game and movie modes, for example.

What do users like about this product?

Nvidia G-Sync

Ultra Low Motion Blur (ULMB)

Ergonomics

If your computer is powered by a compatible Nvidia graphics card you’ll be able to use the monitor to its fullest potential. By connecting DELL S2716DG straight with the graphics card through DisplayPort you can enable G-Sync option in the Nvidia Control Panel. The Nvidia G-Sync will help you maintain frames per second from dropping which will entirely eliminate image from tearing and stuttering. Moreover, it will give you an amazing gaming experience in fast-paced video games as images will appear instantly and won’t leave blur behind them.

In addition to this, the rapid response time of only 1ms and low input lag will ensure that you don’t only see your enemies quicker but give you the ability to shoot them down faster as well. Since input lag determines how fast it takes for your controls to react on the screen, you will be able to gun your opponents down as quickly as you can react. This will give you a considerable advantage against players with slower response time monitors.

Ultra Low Motion Blur is another feature which can be used only if the G-Sync is disabled. Firstly, you will need to adjust the Hz rate to either 80Hz, 100Hz or 120Hz in order to enable ULMB. You should make the choice between the G-Sync and ULMB options depending on your hardware and whether you can maintain targeted FPS rate.

G-Sync will help you synchronize the frame rate between your GPU and monitor. If the game you’re playing can limit frames per second and your hardware can support it, then go for the ULMB. Both of these features will enhance your picture and gameplay whether by removing blur or tearing.

DELL S2716DG can be pivoted by 90° into the portrait position. Moreover, it can be tilted by 26°, height adjusted by 130mm and swiveled by 45° to left and right. There is also a hole placed on the back though which you can neatly route the cables to avoid untidiness of cables tangling. The thin bezel makes this monitor ideal for multi-display as they effortlessly blend in together. On the left side of the screen, there are two USB3.0 ports and a headphone jack (3.5mm) which make for easier connecting of your mouse, keyboard and headphones and a useful and practical gaming tool.

What do users not like about this product?

No built-in speakers

OSD buttons

Minor Backlight Bleed

Bugged Deep Sleep feature

Out of the box settings

There are no built-in speakers, however, this 144Hz gaming monitor has an audio line in and a headphone jack since most of the competitive players choose to use either a headphone set or good quality speakers system.

The monitor’s hotkeys and the power button are uncomfortably tiny, clunky and hard to press but considering that the design is ultra-thin, if they were any bigger the monitor wouldn’t look as nice. However, once you are on the menu, clear and easy to navigate display will allow you to quickly adjust your preferred settings. Beneath the screen is a nice whitely glow which will shine while the monitor is running, once in standby or sleep mode the glow will begin to flash.

In general, TN panels are known for their angle viewing issues and rarely present backlight bleeding. However, the DELL S2716DG shows no major backlight bleed as we’ve only encountered an insignificant amount of light bleed at the bottom of the screen which is only visible on a fully black background. In games, movies or everyday use you will not notice any light bleeding.

The viewing angles are 160° vertical and 170° horizontal which is almost as good as it gets for TN panels. Thanks to the wide range of ergonomics of the DELL S2716DG you will be able to find the perfect position so that you may watch movies from the distance without colors contrasting or losing their tint. Additionally, the DELL S2716DG is VESA mount compatible if you wish to safely and comfortably hang the monitor on the wall. Once you remove the detachable stand you will notice where the VESA mount is located.

There is a manufacturing defect concerning the DELL S2716DG‘s Sleep Mode. Some reviewers complained about their computer not being able to wake up from the sleep mode by pressing any key on the keyboard or mouse. Instead, you’d have to press a hotkey on the monitor in order to wake it up. In a few seconds spent in the settings menu, you should be able to disable the sleep mode. Additionally, the monitor will even maintain regular power consumption of around 47W in the sleep mode. So, just disable it and use your standard screen saver which will make the monitor go in standby mode and consume the usual amount of power which is around 0.5W.

Some minor tweaking may be needed in order to achieve the greatest possible picture of the monitor. According to your preference you may reduce the brightness level or simply calibrate the monitor using one of many available tools on the internet. As all settings are intended and adjusted strictly for gamers and there are no presets to choose from, you will have to manually adjust the settings every time – if you’re not comfortable with using gaming settings for everyday use or a movie.

Additionally, monitor straight out of the box won’t be in the fast mode of 1ms response time. There is also the normal mode which has 3ms response time, so make sure that you check that as soon as you hook up your monitor.

Who is this product for?

Professional gamers and alike will achieve perfect viewing and gaming experience with this 144Hz gaming monitor. Fast response time and 144Hz guarantee sharp and crisp image even with fast moving objects. For FPS games where you have to react fast as enemies keep jumping out of nowhere, you will have the advantage of undistorted and clearly visible objects.

As DELL S2716DG doesn’t have an IPS panel which provides most accurate colors, professional designers and photographers will lack the accuracy of colors they need for their work. However, some novice designers will be satisfied with the image as colors are, in fact, great concerning it’s a TN panel. We hope you liked our DELL S2716DG review

This 144Hz gaming monitor provides excellent resolution and image quality, top notch response time and a beautiful design. Depending on your graphics card you may want to check Asus MG279Q which has similar statistics but is suited for AMD users. Considering DELL's rival monitors in this area you'd have to pay much more in order to come close to the image quality of DELL S2716DG. While most of other 144hz gaming monitors have many more gaming related features, very few of them can provide image quality like DELL in this price range.